Syngenta’s headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, August 2019.  Photo: Reuters/Arnd Wiegmann

Syngenta sales growth eases but still quite robust

Reuters – Swiss agrichemicals and seeds group Syngenta on Thursday logged slightly slower – albeit still robust – growth in sales and core earnings for the third quarter. The Chinese-owned company, which plans to list within the next few months, said sales jumped 20 per cent to $7.9 billion in the three months to the

File photo from a Teamster-represented engineers’ picket at CN in Winnipeg in 2009. (Dave Bedard photo)

Unions rip supply chain report’s language on strikes

Task force calls for 'new labour relations paradigm'

Recommendations from the federal government’s National Supply Chain Task Force to strengthen the country’s supply chains have drawn a cheer but also one significant jeer from unions in the transport sector. The task force’s final report, released Oct. 6, offered up 21 recommendations aimed at easing congestion in Canada’s ports, filling labour shortages and improving


(Dave Bedard photo)

CropLife not driving CFIA policy, agency says

NFU calls for CFIA head's ouster over 'indication of improper collaboration'

The National Farmers Union and a clutch of other organizations have asked Canada’s federal ag minister to replace the president of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, citing questions about the provenance of regulatory proposals on gene-edited seed. CFIA officials, however, reject the NFU’s allegation that the metadata attached to the proposal document in question may

Table 1: Percentage Harvest Completion by Crop and Region to Oct. 25, 2022.

Harvest in Manitoba 95 per cent complete, fertilizer applications ongoing

Manitoba Crop Report: Issue 25, October 25, 2022

Overview Harvest progress sits at 95 per cent complete across the province. Harvest is wrapping up or done in most parts of southern Manitoba, and significant amounts of fall fieldwork, and surface drainage cleanout have been completed. Fall fertilizer application is generally behind last year’s pace. Fall anhydrous ammonia application continues as soils cool, but


Photo: Thinkstock

Pulse weekly outlook: Good harvests, transportation a ‘mixed bag’: Pulse Canada 

MarketsFarm – As harvesting operations for pulses in Western Canada come to a close, Mac Ross, Pulse Canada’s director for market access and trade policy, said this year’s crops have been successful in terms of quality and yields. “I haven’t heard any concerns regarding quality. In a lot of cases, I’ve been hearing that the

AAFC made some small tweaks in its estimates for the 2022/23 wheat crop.  Photo: Greg Berg

AAFC tweaks some numbers as canola, pulses remain unchanged

MarketsFarm – While Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada made some changes in its October supply and demand estimates from September, the department didn’t make any alterations to its data for canola, pulses and special crops. The department released its report during the late afternoon of Oct. 21. Of the grains and oilseeds, AAFC’s most notable revisions


grain train

Railways in the spotlight as grain shipping season begins

A big crop is bound for export and there are doubts the railways can pull it off

Glacier FarmMedia – Another chapter in the great Canadian rail transport soap opera may be unfolding. The tempestuous couple — railroads and grain farmers — is on the cusp of another argument over harvest shipping. And there’s no alternative for producers. They’re locked into the relationship. Will CN Rail and CP Rail, which struggled to

Manitoba harvest nears completion

Manitoba Crop Report: Issue 24, October 18, 2022

Overview Harvest progress sits at 90 per cent complete across the province, having caught up to the 5-year average of 91 per cent complete by week 42. Harvest is wrapping up or done in many areas of southern Manitoba, and fall fieldwork, tillage, fertilizer application and drainage is underway. Winter cereal crops appear in good


Signage outside an IBEW office in Winnipeg. (File photo by Dave Bedard)

Arbitration leads to deal for CN signals staff

IBEW held 17-day strike in summer

Canadian National Railway (CN) has labour peace with its signals and communications workers through to the end of 2024 coming out of binding arbitration. The 750-odd workers, represented by International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) System Council 11, had agreed to take their dispute with CN to arbitration in early July, ending a 17-day strike.

(iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: Manitoba’s dry beans, peas show strong yields

MarketsFarm — With the return of typical temperatures and healthy amounts of precipitation throughout the growing season, Manitoba had successful pea and dry bean crops during the 2022-23 marketing year, according to the province’s pulse specialist. Dennis Lange of Manitoba Agriculture said both crops showed high yields from their respective harvests. The Manitoba pea harvest